Hitching out of Reno... how illegal is illegal?

ScreamingAntagonasm!

ScreamingAntagonasm!

New member
Hey, my girlfriend and I are planning on hitching out of Reno, NV tomorrow headed for San Francisco. We were planning on heading up to an I-80 on-ramp and chilling there, but we have heard that trying to hitch at all is technically illegal in this state. Just how wary do we need to be? We're probably only going to take a bag a piece as well as a couple of instruments (and a sign).

Any experience? Suggestions?
 
I've never hitched out of Reno but my guess is that they've seen hitch-hikers a lot before and probably won't just get of the car and mace you or something. Hitching through WA and CA (which I know is totally different from NV) and dealing with cops a number of times (even OR where it's legal), I've never actually been hassled too bad. A lot of times they just drive by me. Anyway - my point is if you stay off the actual highway and don't be a dick to the cops -in my opinion- I'd think you'd be fine. But, it is Reno, which is a big steaming pile of shit.
 
macks said:
But, it is Reno, which is a big steaming pile of shit.
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Tell me about it.

We're trying to throw together a ride-share just in case that could take us to the Cali border or beyond to avoid unnecessary hassles, but we'll probably brave it anyway. It's not a do-or-die situation getting out of here: We have a place to stay and can regroup our efforts over a longer period of time if need be. But as you said, Reno is a big steaming pile of shit and the sooner we split the better for our mental health.... :cheers:
 
Check it out. I just hitched from Reno back here to the Sacramento area bout 2 weeks ago. I was on the westbound exit by the walgreens right downtown. A couple Reno cops drove by and didn't even bat an eye. I was picked up within 30 mins by some college kids goin to a show in sac. This exit is right around the corner from the "college side of town" so I don't think you should have much trouble. Most people are going at least as far as sacto being as there isn't many places in between. If you get a ride to sac an alternative to sitting all day in that shithole trying to get a ride is the Yolo bus ( there's a whiskey rebels song about it). It comes right down town ( I think in the K street vicinity?) and it's like a buck 25. It'll get ya out to Davis and the hitchin's better out there in my past experience. Cool lil college town too.
 
Take Doobie's advice on the bus outta Sac instead of hitching. A night sweating my balls off in the spidery bushes behind the air force base changed my mind about paying for that ride, haha.
 
the last time I hitched through there, which was sometime in january. my buddy squirrel and I were standing on the on ramp, and after about an hour, a cop came by and told us we had to move farther off it, past some sign. other then that. I had no trouble. you should be fine.
 
Back from the bay: We had no problems hitching out of Reno. We made it out in less than an hour and a half, and had no issues with the pigs. In fact, we made it to Berkeley by 9 or 10 at night and the only issue was being almost stuck in Tracy, CA all day, which was our fault because we weren't map-equipped and should have turned down that ride anyway. So long story short, avoid being dropped off in Tracy, CA.
 
all depends on how much of a dick the cop feels like being. they can get you for "propositioning a ride" but mostly they'll just lecture you on the dangers of the lifestyle and then they'll go back to their squad car and jerk off.
 
I´ve been warned about hitching out of Reno, cops stopped and told me it was illegal to solicit any kind of service within 200 meters of the highway, so on rmaps are technically illegal too. They didn´t write me up though, and I eventually did get a ride, but I just thought I´d pass on the info that it is apparently technically illegal.
 
They will bug you if they want. I've never heard of anybody getting more than a verbal warning, though. That would leave me to believe it's not TOO illegal, and they're just looking for an excuse to bother you.
Both on-ramps (east/west) on the Virginia Street exit are actually perfect for hitching, which seems to be uncommon in urban areas.
 
FuckYeah said:
all depends on how much of a dick the cop feels like being. they can get you for "propositioning a ride" but mostly they'll just lecture you on the dangers of the lifestyle and then they'll go back to their squad car and jerk off.
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ya thats how cops usually react to me hichhiking.they just go on about people get killed doing this, yer too young to be doing this,etc.
 
I asked a UP Bull in Las Vegas about the legality of hitchhiking in the state, and he told us that as long as we aren't near the prison we would be fine.
 
whats this Yolo bus thingy is that like a public bus or a greyhound?
 
Not sure about the actual laws but a highway patrol officer in Nevada told my boyfriend and me that we couldn't hold out our thumbs or have a sign because it was illegal to solicit a ride BUT we could sit where we were ( before the no pedestrian sign on the on ramp) and wait for a ride.
This wasn't in Reno though...when I tried to get out of Reno some cop yelled at us over his loud speaker that it was illegal to hitchhike but then he left without even getting out of his car and we were passed over by numerous other staties and city cops so I'm not sure.
 
I severely doubt it is illegal to hitchhike in Nevada. Even if it is, you would have to be doing something dumb for any cop to enforce it....unless you are on an interstate.
 
I just read that article. And I'm pretty sure the only way that they could prove you were soliciting is to take a picture of you hitching or of you were holding a sign. Alot of states have this "anti soliciting" law, and it is usually only enforce when the individual is holding a sign of some kind.

The officer can interpret the law how they see fit, but if you deny you were soliciting a ride I'm pretty certain it wouldn't stand up in court.

It is usually the state's that ban pedestrians on roadways that end up winning those cases if challenged.

But shit. It's like a 250 dollar fine. Not too bad. I'd chance it.

Especially because it is legal to walk on some interstates in Nevada where a sidewalk isint available.

Give two thumbs up when hitching in nevada, throw those bastards off!
 
Pedestrians aren't banned, just people asking for things. In my experience, if a cop says one thing in court, and a bum says another, the judge (who will generally know the cop) is not going to believe the bum. Meanwhile, you're sitting in jail waiting to see a judge for a week, or two, to plead not guilty because you pissed off the cop in some way, and they don't trust you to not run off because you don't have a residence and you probably aren't going to show up for trial unless they make you.

Granted, it's the worst case scenario and you're almost certainly going to just get a warning, or just cited and released, but Nevada cops can be some pretty big pricks. If you're coming from California way, just grab a Megabus, it's $20 and hitching Nevada sucks anyway. I stood on ramps there for 4 days trying to hitch out of Vegas. It was hot, there was no shade, and I got several warnings before I'd been given enough money (just from hitching) to get a Megabus out of that craphole. Accidentally came in on a train out of SLC into Nevada summer.
 
theres also a bus in to Carson city and another one that goes up the hill to the CA, NV border, the casinos in lake Tahoe. you could hitch hwy 50 from there.
 
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